Viggo Mortensen to Star in French Film

Viggo Mortensen is set for his first French-language role in helmer-scribe David Oelhoffen's "Loin des hommes" (Far From Men).

The film is inspired by "The Host," one of six short stories in French-Algerian philosopher Albert Camus' book, "Exile and the Kingdom."

Mortensen stars as a French teacher in a small Algerian village in 1957 during Algeria's war of independence from France. He is ordered to take a dissident to the authorities to turn him in but the two men unexpectedly bond.

The Â¤6 million ($7.7 million) "Kingdom" is produced by Marc du Pontavice and Matthew Gledhill at Paris-based One World Films. "Viggo is a big fan of Albert Camus' work and committed to star in the film very quickly after he read the script," du Pontavice said.